The Covid-19 crisis has painfully demonstrated the heterogeneous landscape that currently exists across ports worldwide. With the world’s attention now focused on exiting from lockdowns and preparing for a ‘new normal’, there is an urgent need to co-operate and accelerate the pace of digitalisation, according to a number of leading maritime associations, including BIMCO.

The heads of the maritime, labour and aviation organizations of the United Nations have issued a plea for urgent action on crew changes and for keyworker designation to pave the way for sea and air workers to be relieved and repatriated safely during the Covid-19 pandemic.

On 14 May 2020, the U.S. Departments of State and Treasury, and the U.S. Coast Guard, issued a global advisory to alert multiple industry sectors, including the maritime industry, to deceptive shipping practices used to evade sanctions imposed on Iran, North Korea, and Syria.